Holiday Monster Cookies

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Do you know what today is? It’s reveal day for the 2nd annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!Born of the fabulous brains of Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil and Julie from The Little Kitchen, the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap brings together hundreds of food bloggers for one big giant cookie swap across the United States. Each participant is matched up with three other food bloggers and sends them a dozen of their favorite cookie … it’s a cookie baking extravaganza!

And not only are we sharing the cookie baking love, this year all participating bloggers made a donation to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, which was matched dollar for dollar (up to $100,000) by OXO. Yummy cookies and helping out children in need? I can’t think of a better way to spend some time.

For last year’s cookie swap, I made my light and delicious Cranberry Orange Pecan Cookies. They were awfully good so I wasn’t sure I could top them this year. But, I think I just might have.

Have you ever heard of monster cookies? Traditionally made with peanut butter, oats, and chock full of M&M’s, milk chocolate chips, and raisins, they’re pretty darn good cookies. I decided to put a spin on the traditional monster cookie for my cookie swap recipients.

I kept the oats, but ditched the peanut butter, and then substituted dried cranberries, chopped pistachios, and white chocolate chips for the traditional “monster” ingredients.

So, was my spin a success? Yes, indeed! There’s something about the combination of cranberries, pistachios, and white chocolate that screams “holiday” to me … and they worked perfectly in this cookie. Tart, chewy, and nutty, these cookies were an instant hit with my family … and I hope my cookie swappers loved them too! So, who did I have the pleasure of baking these lovely treats for?

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until fluffy.
2. Beat the eggs and vanilla into the butter and sugar mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt; mixly together thoroughly.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, stirring by hand until well blended.
5. Stir in the cranberries, pistachios, and white chocolate chips.
6. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons, approximately 2 inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets.
7. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a sugared glass.
8. Bake at 300°F for 18 to 20 minutes.
9. Cool the cookies for two minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to cooling racks.

Makes 4 dozen.

So, what delicious cookies did I receive from The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap?

Huge thanks go to Sarah from The Life Album for her Lemon Coconut Snowballs, Jocelyn from Inside BruCrew Life for her Peppermint Mocha Pudding Cookies, and Cassie from No Day But Today for her Sour Cream Horns. Thanks so much for the yummy cookies … and Happy Holidays!

Jocelyn @BruCrew Life

Your cookies look awesome! They sound like the perfect holiday cookie:-) I am so glad you enjoyed the ones I sent you!!!

http://rhubarbandhoney.com/ Kimberly

Thanks, Jocelyn!

natalie@thesweetslife

these sound fantastic! might have to add them to my holiday baking list!

http://rhubarbandhoney.com/ Kimberly

Thanks, Natalie!

http://www.culicurious.com/ Addie K Martin

Your cookies look great – i love all those ingredients. Adding this to my arsenal.

http://rhubarbandhoney.com/ Kimberly

They work so well together in almost everything! Thanks for stopping by, Addie!

http://twitter.com/chefjamielevine Jamie Levine

I can attest that these cookies are fabulous! Thank you again for sending them my way

http://rhubarbandhoney.com/ Kimberly

I’m so glad you liked them, Jamie! Happy Holidays!

Maria Long

look amazing. thx for linking up to friday food frenzy. hope to see you again next week. Pictures are good enough to eat by the way!!